Below is a sample of one of my recent Continue reading
Architectural Drafters
I’ve been running draftingservices.com since 2007. We provide all kinds of drafting support to architects, contractors, engineers and etc.. Currently we have a few different ongoing projects. One of these projects is to draft the construction drawings of a house. The house is located in New York. Continue reading
Building Surveys
The term “building survey” can mean different things to different people. Below is a partial list of how different professionals may use the term. Continue reading
Paper to CAD Conversions
“Paper to cad” is a shorthand phrase that refers to the act of converting a set of paper drawings into CAD format. The focus of this article will be an introductory level explanation of the topic. Continue reading
Hatch Pattern Gap Tolerance – HPGAPTOL
Recently I received a Boundary Definition Error while drafting in AutoCAD. I got the error message when I was trying to hatch the exterior wall of a building that I drafted. Continue reading
Free NVIDIA Computer Graphics Card
Back in October of 2010 I bought a Quadro FX 580 graphics card for my then new computer. I paid $160 for it, and eventually determined that it wasn’t compatible with my Dell Inspiron 560 computer. Continue reading
My Standing Desk
The other week I wrote about the ergonomic mouse that I bought in hopes it would aleviate the pain I have in the top of my hands and forearms. The mouse definitely did help some, but my pain is due to years of bad typing posture, and I found out that I needed to do more than just switch to an ergonomic mouse. Continue reading
How to Rename an AutoCAD Block
Last week I was working on a floor plan drafting project. The project called for me to measure and draft the floor plans of a penthouse apartment on 5th Avenue in New York City. I also had to include the power points on the plan. Continue reading
Backing Up Your CAD Files
As a sole proprietor I run my own drafting services business, and up until now I’ve been using an external hard drive to backup my CAD files. This has been good, but in reality, not good enough. Continue reading
Help! My Hand and Forearm Hurt!
If you’ve been on a computer for years, like I have, then you may have found yourself Googling phrases like “pain in the back of the hand” or “ergonomic workstation” or etc. If you have, then you’re not alone, because I have queried the same phrases. Continue reading
AutoCAD System Variables
If you’re an AutoCAD user, then sooner or later you will come across “system variables”. I consider these to be a little less intuitive part of AutoCAD, then other parts of the software. Let me explain. Continue reading
A Home Architectural Survey Defined
Has your Architect told you that you need an Architectural Survey performed on your house, in order for him to create the home remodeling drawings that you hired him for? Well, if this is so, then you’re not the first person to have heard this. Such a survey is prerequisite on some home remodel projects, and herein will be discussed. Continue reading
Evaluating the Decision to Use a Provider of Outsourced CAD Drafting Services
If you run or manage a company in the AEC Industry, are feeling a pinch in your project budgets, and your company is in need of drafting services, then using a provider of outsourced AutoCAD drafting services instead of keeping a full time CAD employee may be a way to cut costs. Here’s a thought on this alternative. Continue reading
AutoCAD Image Border
When an image is inserted into an AutoCAD drawing, it comes in with a border. The border is more properly known as a frame.
I first became aware of the image frame when Continue reading
Theater Floor Plans | Project Summary 15
Every once in a while I’ll get a request to measure a theater in order to draft CAD floor plans of it. Below I describe one such project. Continue reading
CADD Geek Health Issues
Here’s a superb video interview of Dr. Andrew Weil, in which the interviewer Kevin Rose asks Dr. Weil health questions that relate to computer geek lifestyles. CADD people certainly spend Continue reading
Floor Plan Survey | Project Summary 13
One of the drafting services that I provide is floor plan surveys. In this post, as a continuation in my series of project summary posts, I’ll review a project on which I provided such services. Continue reading
CAD Floor Plans | Project Summary 11
On a regular basis I create CAD floor plan drawings of existing buildings. Today I’ll dive into my project archives and summarize one such project. Continue reading
Commercial Building Floor Plans | Project Summary 9
A few weeks ago an architecture firm, who I’ve done business with in the past, contacted me and requested a cost proposal to field verify the accuracy of two of their AutoCAD files that contained commercial building floor plans. The plans were of an existing commercial building located in the heart of the Financial District of New York City. Continue reading
Building Measuring | Project Summary 8
Measuring buildings, for the purpose of creating CAD drawings of them, is what I do for a living. It is something that I thoroughly enjoy doing, and each building is a challenge. I get great satisfaction out of trying to overcome such challenges, in order to provide my clients with accurate CAD drawings, in a timely manner. Continue reading
Floor Plan Service | Project Summary 7
Drafting service businesses, such as mine, provide floor plan services. Doing so entails going to a building (or house) to measure its floor plans, followed by creating a CAD drawing that is based upon the measurements. Continue reading
As-Built Documentation | Project Summary 5
To provide as-built documentation services is to record the as-constructed configuration of something. That something could be a structure, mechanical system, plumbing system, or etc. Continue reading
AutoCAD Mouse Wheel Zoom
If you use AutoCAD a fair amount like I do, and have been doing so for many years, then Continue reading
Residential House Drawings | Project Summary 2
Here’s a project on which I needed to create floor plan drawings and exterior elevation drawings of a two story (plus a full basement) residential house in the Bronx, NY. The drawings were delivered to my client in AutoCAD format. Continue reading
Existing Conditions Drawings | Project Summary 1
A set of existing conditions drawings for an existing structure are created from on-site measurements of the structure. The on-site measuring is sometimes loosely referred to as a survey. Once the structure is surveyed, the field measurements are used to create a drawing of it.
Regularly I create existing conditions drawings of Continue reading